Volvo XC90 flexes its muscles

Generating 314kW of power and a bullocking 680Nm of torque, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Volvo's latest go-fast creation was a corner-carving rear-drive V8 coupe with the sort of visual flair associated with Nicki Minaj.

But the Swedes have always done things a little differently.

Volvo's most powerful car yet is its flagship SUV, the XC90 T8 tuned by Polestar, its motorsport and performance car tuning division. Think AMG for Mercedes or HSV for Holden.

As we reported last year, several 'Polestar Performance Optimsation' packs have already been announced for the garden-variety XC90 models, including the petrol T6 and diesel D5 models.

But now things just got real.

The latest Polestar-tuned XC90 is based on the plug-in hybrid T8 'Twin Engine' powertrain, which combines a 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine with an electric motor.

The Polestar-fettled twin-charged petrol engine has been boosted by 14kW and 40Nm, increasing its outputs from 235kW/400Nm to 250kW/440Nm, although the electric motor appears to be untouched, generating the same 65kW/240Nm.

The result is a 2.3-tonne seven-seat behemoth that accelerates to 100km/h in just 5.5 seconds -- a tenth of a second faster than the non-tuned XC90 T8 variant, which goes on sale in Australia by mid-year.

Volvo reckons that apart from the combined 314kW/680Nm outputs -- up from 300kW/640Nm – there's also improved throttle response and tweaks to the automatic transmission to sharpen gearshifts.

However, to get the world's most powerful Volvo – which remarkably consumes fuel at a rate of just 2.1L/100km and offers a 43km zero-emission electric driving range – you'll have to plonk down $122,950. Then the Polestar Performance Optimisation package adds another $1850 in Australia, not including labour.

The entry-level XC90 D5 ($89,950) and all other variants in between can also be given the Polestar treatment for the same price, which takes the D5 model from 165kW/480Nm to 179kW/500Nm.

Also now available to order Down Under are Polestar tuning kits for the V40, S60, V60 and XC60, while the first full-blown S60 and V60 Polestar models powered by a four-cylinder engine – delivering 270kW/470Nm or enough for the new S60 to hit 100km/h in 4.7 seconds – arrive here in the fourth quarter of this year.

Polestar is expanding its influence across the entire Volvo range and has even announced plans to offer tweaks for its new flaghsip, BMW 5 Series-rivalling S90 sedan and V90 wagon before they're even released here in October.

And you can bet your bottom dollar Polestar is working on something altogether hairier, perhaps like an all-new V40 hyper hatch that'll make the likes of the Ford Focus RS take notice.